Apparatus for reconditioning felts of paper-making machines



*Jtily 31, 1928.

M. F. FLYNN APPARATUS FOR RECON'ISI-TIONING FELTS' OF PAPER ILAKING MACHINES 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 11, 1925 July 31, 1928.

APPARATUS FOR RECONDITIONING FELTS OF PAPER MAKING MACHINES Filed Aug. 11

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I 25M; RNEY,

Patented July 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE."

MORTIMER F. I'LYNN, OF WEST NEW BRIGHTON, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO NEW NA]? I SYSTEM,"ING.. OE NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

APPARATUS FOR REGOND'ITIONING FELTS OF PAPER-MAKING MACHINES.

Application filed August 11, 1925. Serial m. 49,676.

This invention relates to the apparatus for re-conditioning felts of ,paper making-machines and' the like. I

In the manufacture of paper in the vari-' out types of 'so-called paper makin machines, the pul' after treatmentas esired is fed, to so-ca led groups of dehydrating presses or like units, each group of dehydra'ting presses embodying one or more sets of couch rollers-and other forms ofpresser rolls through which the paper pulp is fed and. transferred from stage to stage by means of also-called felt, preferably a blanket conveyer formed of wool fibre, the

nap and body orwoven structure of which are of, a formfor properly performing the functions of feeding and transferring the paper pulp as aforesaid and to permit the passage 'therethrough of the water pressed from the paper pulp by the action of the couch rolls and presser rolls. The speed of travel of the felts of dehydrating units of paper making machines varies from three hundred to fifteen hundred feet and upwards per minute. 1 1

In such function of the felts, the nap of the felt becomes reduced in height and the fibres of the nap matted or otherwise displaced relative to one another, and in course of time become worn or otherwise deformed and particles of the paper pulp more or less fill up the nap and the interstices between the warp and weft threads of the body or woven structure of the felt. It has been the practice heretofore to interrupt the operation of the paper making machinein the effort to remove the pulp particles from the interstices of the felt. The methods heretofore practiced are known as the roping, beater and spreading methods. 1

The roping methodv consists of draw-' ing the felt to one side of the rolls so that it hangs loosely on athe rolls, then spraying the felt with water in the attempt to wash out the paper pulp. Such'roping method is not successful for the reason that the 00- eluded paper pulp is not effectually removed and the-method does not contribute whatsoever toward re-conditioning of the nap of the felt. v

The beater method requires the-provision of rotating paddles that are set at an angle to the travel of'the. felt to cause the arms of the paddles to strike the felt, which method but partly loosens the pulp and wears the nap and greatly deforms the woven structure. 1

The spreading method necessitates the use of so-called spread rolls which are mounted on the paper making machine and comprise a two-section roll, each section being one-half of the length of the felt roll. Each spread roll is mounted on pillow blocks immediately under the felt and at an angle to the travel of the felt to thereby position the respective sections of each spread roll to diverge from the center ofthe felt toward the opposite ends of the felt. The spreading method causes the felt to be spread from its center towards its opposite ends, so to speak, to stretch'the'felt, in

the effort to open up the weave and allow the water and moisture to be pressed through by the couch rolls. This procedure is highly disadvantageous in that it increases the width of the felt, necessitating trimming 'at the edges to restore it to the requiredwidth, and enlarges the mesh of the weave, thus rendering the felt more susceptible of occluding the paper pulp.

All of the above previous methods are intreated b'y'means of a set of pointed members, -the free ends of which are arranged to penetrate through the surface of the felt and more or less within the body or woven structure of the felt and upon the withdrawal of the free ends of the members from' the felt, the nap of the felt is restored and the occluded paper pulp is removed from the interstices of the woven structure. opposite ends of the pointed members are mounted on a suitable support for locating the free ends of the membersin a predetermined relation to thepath of travel of the felt, to attain the effectual penetration and withdrawal of the members as described.

. M method and apparatus are of aforin' The to e act the application of my invention to the felt of a paper making machine while the machine is in operation in the making of paper, whereby the renapping of the felt, the removal of the'paperp p and other reconditioning processes of the felt take place without shutting down the paper making machine. If desired, the re-oonditioning pursuant to my invention may be carried out during the idle or interrupted periods of the paper making machine. v r

Preferably, my invention is carried out by the use of a re-conditioning device comprising a set of bristles of wire, and rovided with burrs at their free ends, t e op posite ends of the bristles being mounted in a cylindrical roller, to provide for rota the set of couch rollers of the first .dehydrat-' tional movement .of the pointed members.

The cylindrical roller is positioned in a predeterminedirelation to the'path of travel of e felt. The burrs of the bristles are pre erably 'at an obtuse angletothe' 'direc tion of length of the respective bristles and the bristles are preferably mounted in the cylindrical roller at an angle to the radialdirection of the cylindrical roller. The ro-.

tation of the pointed members relative to the axis of the cylindrical roller may be effected by the drag of the free ends of the pointed members in the felt. If desired, the pointed members may be rotated by positive drive, as by gearing from the driving or a driven shaft of the paper making'machines roper.

My reconditioning device is pre erably mounted to be moved to its non-operative osition by the. operation of a lever or ot er readily accessible means. My re-conditioning device may be of awidth materially less than the width of the felt, in which event the device is mounted to be dis laced laterally of the direction of travel of thus be brought into contactwith the respec tive laterally disposed portions of the felt successively, as b means of a worm drive for such lateral displacement and automatic means for-returningthe reconditioning device in the reversed lateral movement.

Further features and objects of the invention-will be more fully understood from the following detail description and the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a Fourdrinier type of apermaking machine combined with my invention and illustrating one form of carrying out my method;

Fig. 2 1s a detail side elevation, on a greatly enlarged scale showing one form of. application of my invention to a felt of a papier making machine of the type indicated ig. 1, certain of the parts being omitted to show otherwise hidden'parts;

Fig. 3 is-a sectional elevation on line 3-3 ofFig.2"; Fig. 4 is a. top plan view of Fig. 2;

Fi 5 is-a sectional elevation on line 5-- 5 -ofF1g'. 4; and

through the second the felt and dehydration. the sheeted mass of paper pulp to the general Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view on an enlarged scale illustrating the re-conditioning of the felt.

In the drawings of my application, as above indicated, the paper making machine is of the Fourdrinier typeL However, it will be understood that the paper making machines employed in this country and other active paper making countries are modified more or less in special design, but adhere to the fundamental principles of the use of two or more so-called groups of dehydrating presses to which the paper pulp is sup-plied successively from the pulp agitating. or treating vat by a screen conveyer belt.

The screen conveyer belt passes between ing group to its felt and thereafter passedthrough the one or more sets of presser rollers thence to the pair of couch rollers of the second dehydratin group and similarly dehydrating group to the third dehydrating group and for any additional or similar groups of dehydrating presses.

Such passage of the sheet-like mass of apr pulp ensues through each group of deydrating presses by means of a conveyer known in the trade as a felt, and which is substantially universally a Woolen blanket formed of a warp and weft woven structure of substantially pure wool fibre and provided with a nap of a predetermined thicknessand other characteristics for attaining the purposes desired. v

- From the dehydrating groups, the sheetlike mass of pulp is passed to the drying ;.rooms consisting of the desired number of drying units, each having its sets of u per andd'ower rolls between which a belt of canvas or like material passes for conveying the sheet-like mass of pulp through the various heating and calendaring rolls and for transference to the next unit, and

finally to a winding reel. In Fig. 1, he screen 10 and the paper, pulp is conveyed by the screen 10 through the pair of couch rollers 11, 12. The partially formed sheet of pressed partially dehydratedmass of paper pulp discharged from the screen 10 after belt is indicated. at

passage through'the couch rollers 11, 12, is indicated at 13, which'is'passed onto the upper surface of the felt 14. The felt 14- passes in its transit through the pair of presser rolls 15, 16 and conveys the sheeted mass of paper ulp therethrough for further 'lhe felt 14 further transfers location indicated at 17 where thesheeted I the location- :25, namely within a" range of in the transfer of the sheeted mass through the respective parts of the first dehydrating group, the felt 14 andthe felt 19are suitably driven by frictional contact'with the. desired, friction driving rolls .pursuant toapproved practice and with the necessary number j ofidlers and pulleys and other necessary appurtenances. are employed to maintainthe desired tension or tautness of l the felt.

My re-conditioning device is mounted on thefirst dehydrating group at an'y'suitable location and in'predetermined relation to vthe felt 14, and similarly with respect to the felt 19. As. one suitable locationrrelative to the felt-14', I have indicated in Fig. 1

travel of the felt 14 which is exteriorly of .th Su cii [ath of travel of the sheeted paper pulp. location'f25is advantageous for the reason that the upper. and effective surface of the felt 14- isv available .tocontact from above by my reconditioning device and the ma king machine proper nor-restrict theac introduction of my re-conditioning device thereat does not interfere with the movement of the working parts of the paper cess to the same. The particular construction of the preferred forms of my l e-conditioning device are-set forth more fully hereinafter.

Returningto the further travel of the sheeted mass 13, onto the felt .24 of the second group of dehydrating presses, the sheeted mass 13 is passed from .thepair of couch rolls 11, 12,;si-milarly as the aforesaid couch rolls 11.-- 12, thence transferred by the conveying felt 24 to the general loca-- tion 17 to transfer the sheeted mass 13 about the press rollers'18 onto'the felt 19 through the pair of couch rollers 20*, 21,

from whence the sheeted mass 13 passes over the idler 23 to the third group of dehydrating presses, indicated at the bottom of Sheet 1, onto the felt'27 of the third group of dehydrating presses. My reconditioning device 26 for the second grou of dehydrating presses is indicated as disposed at the general location 25 relative to the felt 24.

. In like manner, the sheeted mass 13 is conveyed through the pair'of couch rollers and presser roller of the third group of dehydrating presses and transferred onto the felt 28 of the third group of dehydrating resses, the parts'of the thirdgroup of deliydrating presses correspondingly substantially to the parts of the aforesaid groups. My device 26 for the third group. is indicated at 25. In like manner, the fourth or additional group of dehydrating presses drums such as the drums 30 and 30*, or conjointly by the use of a belt 31, under suitable tension and exteriorly of the sheeted mass to attain the desired ultimate dehydration and state of dryness. The belt 31 is usually of canvas but may be of any desired material, and if of wool, may be provided with a re-conditioning devicev similarly as aforesaid. 1

As one form of a re-conditioning device embodying my invention, I have illustrated in Figs. 2 to .6, the re-conditioning device 26 as applied to the felt 14 of the first group of dehydrating presses indicated in Fig; 1. At the location 25, the felt 14 1'5 travelling in'the direction of the arrow 32, about the pulley 33. In such-form of my invention, the drive of the pointed members 34 of my re -conditioning device 26 is by contact with the felt 14, i. e., by drag movement therewith, whereby the members 34 are rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow 35. As is illustrated in Fig. 6, the members34 are preferably disposed at the. angle indicated by the are 36 to'the radial direction of' the substantially cylindrical base 37. Preferably, the free ends of the members 34 are provided'with burrs 38 disposed at an obtuse angle relative to the direction of length of the members 34. Such arrangementprovides for the ready penetration of the freeend's of the members 34 and the burrs 38 thereat within the nap 39 and-woven structure or body 40 of the felt 14 'at'the stage of initial contact" of any particular group of members 34 with the felt 14, asis' indicated at 41 and upon the, continued travel of the felt 14 in the direction of the arrow 32and the consequent travel of the members 34, their free ends and the burrspenetrate to the desired extent into the woven structure or body 40 of the felt 14 as is indicated at the intermediate stage 42.

Upon the continued travel of the felt 14 and 1 consequent travel of the members 34 to the stage 43, the free ends of the members 34 and the burrs 38 thereat are withdrawn from stices of the woven fabric and bringing the same to and through the nap 39 and ejecting the same into the air, as indicated at 44. If desired, the ejected pulp particles 44 may be caught upon a suitable platform or on a belt travelling laterally relative to the direction of travel of the felt 14, or removed by means of a vacuum chamber or by a blast of compressed air, or other suitable means. In such action of removal ofthe paper pulp particles, the free ends of the members 34 and the burrs 38 thereat engage the fibres of the warp and Weft threads of the body or woven fabric of the felt 14 and thus renap the upper and effective surface of the felt 14 and restore or reform the nap of the felt 14 at locations which may have been matted or flattened or otherwise deformed, or worn or otherwise rendered defective in the paper making operations. 7

The location 25 of the character above described is advantageous, by reason of the proximity to the pulley 33 or equivalent,

providing for the desirable degree of tautness of the felt 14 and substantial uniformity of path of travel of the felt 14.

The optimum relationship of the members 34 relative to the upper or effective surface of the felt 14 is had by mounting'the members 34 and their supporting base. 37 and the appurtenant parts in the desired predetermined relation from a suitable fixed point 46, such as at the vertical beam 47 of the paper making machine proper or other suitable fixed support, as is set forth more fully hereinafter.

cludes a suitable housing 48 or equivalent. I prefer to'provide the bar 49 of abrasive, usually adjustably mounted as hereinafter described, on the housing 48 in suitable relation to the free ends and the burrs 38 of the members 34'to restore the sharpness of any dull burr, restore the angle of any displaced burr, restore the angle of any bristle displaced relative to its support and restore anybroken burr. Such r 49 of abrasive is suitably supported in the housing 48 in the desired relation to the free ends of the members 34 and the burrs 38, as by -mounting the bar 49 in the'metal frame 50,

. opposite end abuts against the head of the pin. Between the openings '53, 54 of the respective 7 pins 51, I o screw 59 passing through a suitable threaded opening a in the housing 48 and provided with a knurled head, whereby upon advancing the adjusting screw 59 the abrasive equivalent.

through the bearings 72 carried b the ex cate the adjusting bar 49 is set to contact with the free ends and the burrs 38 of the members 34 at any desired regulatable pressure. In such setting, the pins 51, of the housing 48 guide and retain the frame 50 of the abrasive bar 49 and tension the springs 57, 57. Upon loos-. eningthe adjustingscrew 59, the springs 57 57 retract the frame 50 and the abrasive bar 49 from contact with the free ends and the burrs 38 of the members 34.

I also prefer to provide suitablerectif'ying means for the members 34 for restoring the alignment of the members 34 in the event of the displacement of the same ensuing in use, and also for removing any serrations of the flat faces of the burrs which may arise by the action of the abrasive, andthus'pre vent such serrations from cutting or undulytearing the fibres of thewarp and weft comprising the woven structure of the felt. Such rectifying means may be in the form of a flat bar 63 of steel or other suitable "material, adjustably supported relative to 48, about which pins 64 are coiled the expansive springs 65, acting a' inst the heads 66 of such PIDS 64 and tending to move the bar 63 radially. outwardly relative to the free Such mountlng of the members 34 lI1- ends of the members 34. The adjusting screw 67, see Fig. 2, passing through'a suitable threaded opening in the frame 48, serves to set the position of the bar63 relative to the free ends and the burrs 38 of the members 34, to attain the desired pressure against the same a The use of the abrasive 49 and of-the rectifying bar 63 may besimultaneous or not as (preferred, and the use of the abrasive-49 an of the rectifying bar 63 may be continuous or intermittent, 1

Preferably, thepo'sition of the abrasive 49 is in advance of the postion of the rectifying bar 63 relative-to the path of travel of the burrs 38 of the members 34.

As one .form'of mounting for the set of re-conditionin members 34 and other appurtenant devices carried by the housing 48, I describe the following. I

The cylindrical supportin base is'in the form of a hollow r0 ler 37 edly mounted on its shaft as by end disks 70 or hubs or 5 One j shaft end 71 extends tension of the hOllSlllg 48; the-pu ley 73 is pinned or otherwise secured to such exterior shaft end 71. In a simiiar manner, the op posite shaft end 74 is mounted inthe hearing 75 and the pulley76 is pinnedor otherwise secured to the shaft end 74. Forsimplicity ofv assembly, the shaft ends 71, 74' may be non-integral with the body of the shaft and secured by threaded or other connection. The pulleys '73, 76, see Fig. 4, cooperate respectively with the pulleys 77, 7 8, respectively journalled in the oppositely disposed bearings 80, 81in the housing '48. The pulleys 77 78' are respectively secured by the screws 82, 83 passing through threaded openings in the respective collars 82 83 to the central retaining collars 77 78, respectively. The drive between the pulley 7 3 and its coacting pulley 77 is by means ofa belt 84 and the drive between the pulley 76 and its coacting pulley 78 is by means of the belt 85, one of which belts 84, 85, is crossed such as the belt 85, whereby upon the travel of the felt .14 in the direction of the arrow 86, as indicated in Fig. 4, corresponding to the direction of. the arrow 32in Fig. 2, as aforesaid, and the consequent rotation of the re-conditioningmembers 34 in the direction of the arrow 87, Fig. 4, corresponding to the direction of the arrow 35, see Fig. 2, the belt 84 travels at its upper length in the direction of the arrow 88, see Fig. 4, whereas the upper length of the belt-'85 passing over the pulley 76 travels in the direction of the arrow 89.

Associated with the pulley 77 is the clutch 90, and the clutch 91 is associated with the pulley 78, and I combine the clutches 90, 91,- whereby upon the/closure of one clutch, "say the clutch 90 as indicated in Fig. 4, the, other clutch 91 is positively moved to and retained in its open position, and vice versa. As one form of such arrangement of the clutches 90, 91, I fixedly .mount themovable clutch member 90 on the inner shaft 92 and similarly fixedly mount the movable member 91 of the clutch 91 on the inner shaft 92, whereby theshaft'92 serves as the common clutch shaft. The opposite ends of the clutch shaft 92 are provided with the impact, cushioning springs 95, 96 respectively serving as described more fully hereinafter in cooperation with stops at the opposite ends of the frame of the paper making machine to shift the clutch shaft 92 and thereby throw the movable clutch members 90 91 respectively to their open and closed positions.

Between the collars 82 and 83, I locate I the pin 93 secured to the shaft 92 and received within the opposite slots 94 in the hub 95 of the worm 97 which is loosely mounted on the inner shaft 92 and space the worm 97 from the respective collars 82 and 83 by the loose collars 9'6, 96, preferably with intervening roller bearings.

The worm 97 meshes with the worm gear 98 mounted on the shaft 99, journalled in suitable oppositely disposed bearings, 100, 100, see also Figs. 2 and 3. The shaft 99 is attained in position by pinning at 98 the housing'48. At'tlie opposite end of the shaft 99 is fixed the gear 103 meshing with the rack 104, secured to or machined on the inner vertical face of the guide support 105. The

guide support 105 is preferably an I-beam' of suflicient stren th and rigidity to span from one side of t e paper making machine to the opposite side'without any substantial sag, the opposite ed es 106 of the I-beam 105 being milled to su 'stan'tially smooth, rectilinear planes, on which travels the set of spaced grooved rollers 107, 108, respectively mounted on the shafts 109, journalled at their opposite ends in the housing 48. To attain enhanced alignment of travel of the housing 48 relative to the I-beam 105, I provide the similar set of spaced, grooved rollers 110, 111, respectively on similar shafts 109 for guiding. contact with the opposite edges 106*, of the I-beam 105.

The movement of the group of re-conditioning members 34 from their position of operation of re-conditioning the felt to a position of non-operation may be attained by any desirable means. As one form of such means, the I-beam 105 may be rotatively mounted and set manually or by power. One form of such rotatable mounting may comprise the journal 115 carried by the bracket 116, see Figs. 4 and 2, secured by the bolts 117, 117 to the vertical beam 47 of the paper making machine "proper, as aforesaid, or like fixed support. The stud shaft 118 at its inner end is secured to or is integral with the oppositely disposed flat plates 119, 119 bolted, riveted or the like indicated at 120 to one end of the I- beam 105. In a similar manner, the opposite end of the I-beam 105 is provided with a stud shaft (not shown) similar to the stud shaft 118and journalled in a bearing (not shown) similar to the aforesaid bearing 115 and similarly fixedly mounted relative to the paper makin machine proper.

At one en of the I-beam 105, as at the end illustrated in Fig. 4, the control lever 121 is provided for rotating the I-beam 105,

as by pinning as indicated at 122 the hub 123 of the control lever 121 to the stud shaft 118. The control lever 121 is provided with the spring held catch 125 having the handle 126, the dog 127 of the catch 125 cooperating with the notch 128 of the notched plate 129 for holding the control lever 121 and therewith the I-beam 105 in a non-operative position. I

Such provision of means affords also adjustable means for setting the re-condit-ioning members 34 in operative relation to the felt 'tobe re-conditioned, namely, by the rovision of the set of notches 127 for holdmg the dog 127 of the control lever 121 at any-desired position within the range of adjustment. c

As above indicated, stops are provided at the opposite ends of the path of travel of the housing 48 for shifting automatically the clutch shaft 92 carrying the respective mov-- able clutch members 90, 91*. As one form of such stop, I provide the bracket 116 with the stop 129 of 'metal secured to or cast with the bearing 115 of the bracket 116, and the cushioning block- 130 of rubber or other suitable material positioned by the set screw 131.

As above stated, relative to Fig. 4, assuming the right-hand clutch 90 to be in its closed position and the clutch 91 in its open position the clutch shaft 92 is rotated in the conditioning members 34 in the direction of.

the arrow 135, namely in the direction toward the stop member 129. Upon the continued travel of the re-conditioning members 34 toward and in contact with the cushion 130 of the stop member 129, the

spring 96 of the clutch shaft 92 encounters the stop cushion 130, thereby throwing the clutch 90 to its open posit-ion and the clutch 91 to its closed position, the pin 93 of the clutch shaft 92 extending through the slot 94 to actuate the worm 97 in a direction opposite to the arrow 132, thereby reversing the direction of travel of the worm gear 97, i. e., opposite to the arrow 133 and reversing the direction of travel of the housing 48, i. e. opposite to the arrow 135, by the drive of the gear 103 in relation to the rack 104,

which reversed direction of lateral displace-' ment of the re-conditioning members 34 con tinues until the clutch shaft 92 and its cushioning spring 95 encounter the oppositely disposed stop corresponding to the aforesaid stop 129, whereupon the clutch shaft 92 is shifted in the opposite direction to return the housing 48 and the re-conditioning members 34 in the opposite direction of lateral displacement relative to the felt 14.

The bristles 34 or'other pointed members for re-conditioning the felt are preferably of metal or like material possessing the required rigidity and resiliency and other characteristics for the purposes desired.

In the operation of my apparatus in carrying out my process, the abrasive means 49,.

the rectifying means 63 and the power required for displacing the members 34 laterally of the felt, one or more at any time as the case may be, serve as a drag on the members 34 to rovide the desired retarding force to effect t edesired re-conditioning of the felt.

' It will be understood that my method may remove be carried out by means of other forms of apparatus and that the reconditioning process may be carried out for the full width or the felt in lieu of displacing the support of Eh? reconditioning members laterally of the Preferably, the bristles 34 are distributed substantially uniformly about the cylindrical roller 37, thereby providing for substantial retardation or drag on the bristles is, reg

ulated by the adjusting screw 55 of the bar 49. It will be observed that at each instant,

that is to say, forv the successive stages of the rotation of the wire bristles as a whole relative to the bar 49 the regulated premure is applied to the bristles for the full width of the cylinder which at such instant are in contact with the bar 49 and that such pres sure is transmitted through the resilient body portions of such bristles 34, thence through the cylinder and thence through the resilient body portions of the bristles 34 which at that instant are in engagement with the fabric 14. Such resilient means of transmission of the retardation or braking effected by the bar 49 on the bristles in producing the desired drag onthe bristles is enhanced by the provision of the bristles extending at an angle to the radius of the roller 37, as is set forth more fully'herein as another feature of my invention.

A similar regulation of the pressure of retardation or drag on the bristles of my cylinder is-had by the bar 63,. the other of my bristle rectifying means, which bar 63 is, regulated by means of its regulating screw 67 and which bar 63 may be set in operation simultaneously with the bar 49 or intermittently as is set forth more fully herein.

In the re-conditioning operation effected by the successive bristles, the fabric tends to displace the bristles and such displace; ment is compensated or equalized by the engagement of my bristle rectifying means, to wit, the abrasive 49'or the bar 63 with such displaced bristle or bristles, which engagement ensues substantially immediately after such displacement, in which operation of compensation or equalization, the en 'agement .of such displaced bristle or bristles with my bristle rectifying means is opposite in direction to the force applied by the fabric on the bristle in causing uch displacement; accordingly, the operation of the bar 49 and similarly of the bar 63 in such compensating or rectifying action is substant-ially equal in the extent offorce and sub stantially' opposite in vdirection,thus completely carrying out the rectification action.

From the above, it will be apparent that my method and apparatus-provide for renapping and otherwise re-conditioning the felt without necessitating the interruption of the paper making processe My method and'apparatns maintain the felt at optimum conditions of the nap and the immediate removal of the paper pulp particles and other foreign matter from the body of the. felt, whereby the re-conditioned portions of the felt are restored to the desired character- 'istic of readily permitting the discharge through the felt of water and moisture pressed from the sheeted pulp mass in transit through the couch rolls and other presser rolls, thereby maintaining the process of paper making under optimum conditions. A further advantage of my process resides in obviating any increase of steam pressure in the drying units in the effort to attain an increased rate of dehydration and drying, as is necessary in the practices heretofore carried out, by reason of the filling up of the body of the felt and consequent forming of Fwet spots in the felt and also-of reduced drainage of the water and moisture through the felt.

The bristles 34; or equivalent members may be supported by the hollow cylindrical base 37 in the form of tufts, the fixed ends of which are positioned within perforations, as is indicated in Fig. 6, which perforations are inclined to the radius of the cylindrical base 37 at the desired angle indicated by the are 36. The effective length of the new or reformed nap and the extent of penetration of the free ends of the members 34 is determined by the an le of members 34 to the sur ace of the felt or the like to be reconditioned, conjointly with the regulation of the position of the cylindrical base or other support of the member? relative to the line of travel or position of 'the felt and to the degreeof drag on the free ends of the bristles.

support of the Itwillbe understood that my process an apparatus is applicable for any form of relative movement between the re-conditioning members and the felt or the like, and including maintaining the felt in a stationary position and bodily moving the housing or other members longitudinally or otherwise relative to the felt.

It will be erceived that my invention is also applicab e for re-napping fabrics other than felts of wool or the like of paper making machines and the like by similar procedure.

Whereas, I have described my invention by reference to specific forms thereof, it will be understood that many changes and modiresentation of the roup of re-eonditioning fications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. The combination with a paper making machine having a conveyer of felt, rollers for supporting, guiding and driving said felt conveyer and a frame for rotatively supporting .said rollers, of a track secured fixedly relative to said frame, a napping cylinder having a width less than the width of said felt conveyer, means for supporting said napping cylinder from said track to locate the ends of the bristles of said napping cylinder within the woven structure of said felt conveyer, and gearing means for moving said napping cylinder along said track transversely of said felt conveyer upon the longitudinal movement'of said'felt conveyer and the engagement of the bristles of said napping cylinder with said felt conveyer.

2. The combination with a paper making machine having a conveyer of felt, rollers I for supporting, guiding and driving said felt conveyer and a frame for rotatively supporting said rollers, of a track secured fixedly relative to said frame, a napping cylinder having a width less than the width of said felt conveyer, adjustable means for supporting said napping 'cylinder from said track to thereby adjustably locate the ends of the bristles of said napping cylinder within the woven structure of said felt conveyer, and gearing means for moving said napping cylinder along said track transversely of said felt conveyer upon the longitudinal movement of said felt conveyer and the enga ement of the bristles of said napping cylin er with said felt conveyer.

3. The combination with a paper making machine having a conveyer of felt, rollers for supporting, guiding and driving said felt conveyer and a frame for rotatively su port:

ing said rollers, of a track secured xedly relative to said frame, a napping cylinder havlng a width less than the width of said felt conveyer, means for supporting said bristles of said napping cylin er with said felt conveyer.

4. The combination with a paper making machine having a conveyer of felt, rollers for supporting, gulding and driving said felt conveyer and a frame for rotatively supportwith said felt conveyer to non-operative position and for restoring said napping. cylinder to its adjusted operative position.

and gearing means for moving said napping cylinder along said track transversely of said felt conveyer upon the longitudinal move-' ment of' said felt conveyer and the enga ement of the bristles of said napping cylin er with said felt conveyer.

5. The combination with a paper making machine having a conveyor of felt, rollers for supporting, guiding and driving said felt conveyer and a frame for rotatively supporting said rollers, of a track secured fixedly relative to said frame, a napping cylinder having a width less than the width of said felt conveyer, means for supporting said napping cylinder from said track to locate the ends of the bristles of said napping cylinder Within the woven structure of said felt conveyer, gearing means for moving said napping cylinderalong said track transversely of said felt conveyer upon the longitudinal movement of said felt conveyer and the engagement of the bristles of said napping cylinder with said felt conveyer, and means for reversing the movement of said napping cylinder relative to said track upon said napping cylinder attaining engagement with the lateral edge portions of said felt conveyer.

l 6. The combination /with a paper making machine having a conveyer of felt, rollers for supporting, guiding and driving said felt conveyer and a frame for rotatively supporting said rollers, of a track secured fixedly relative to said frame, a napping cylinder having a width less than the width of said felt conveyer, adjustable means for supporting. said napping cylinder from said track to thereby adjustably locate the ends of the bristles of said napping cylinder Within the woven structure of said felt conveyer, gearing means for moving said napping cylinder along said track transversely of said felt conveyer upon the longitudinal movement of said felt conveyer and the engagement of the bristles of said napping cylinder with said felt conveyer, and means for reversing the movement of said napping cylinder relative to said track upon said napping cylinder attaining engagement with the lateral edge portions of said felt conveyer.

7. The combination with a paper making machine having a conveyer of felt, rollers for supporting, guiding and driying said der to operative position, gearing means for moving said napping cylinder along said track transversely of said felt conveyer upon the longitudinal movement of said felt conveyer and the engagement of the bristles of said napping cylinder with said felt con veyer, and means for reversing the move- .ment of said napping cylinder relative to said track upon said napping cylinder attaining engagement with the lateral edge portions of said felt conveyer.

8. The combination wt-ih a paper making machine having a conveyer of felt, rollers for supporting, guiding and driving said felt conveyer and a frame for rot-atively supporting saidrollers, of a track secured fixedly relative to said frame, a napping cylinder having a width less than the width of said felt conveyer, means for supporting said napping cylinder from said track to locate the ends of the bristles of said napping cylinder within the woven structure of said felt conve er, means for moving said napping cylmc er from operative position relatlve with said felt conveyer to non-operative position and for restoring said napping cylin- I der to its adjusted operative position, gearing means for moving said napping cylinder along said track transversely of said felt conveyer upon the longitudinal movement, of

and extending transversely of the direction N of travel of said felt conveyer for supporting and guiding said napping cylinder in its travel transversely of the direction of travel of said felt conveyer, and adjustable means for regulating the extent of penetration of the bristles of. said napping cylinder into the woven fabric of said felt conveyer.

10. The combination with a paper making machine having a conveyer of felt, rollers for supporting, guiding and driving said. felt conveyer and a frame for rotatively supporting said rollers, of a transverse track secured relative to said frame, a napping cylinder having a width le'ss than the width of said felt conveyer, means for supporting said napping cylinder from said track to locate the ends of the bristles of said napping cylinder-within the Woven structure of said felt conveyer, and gearing means for moving said napping cylinder along said track transversely of said felt conveyer upon the longitudinal movement of said felt con.- veyer and the engagement of the bristles of I Silld napping cylinder with said felt conveyer.

11. The combination with a paper making -machine having a conveyer of felt, rollers for supporting, guiding and driving said felt conveyer and a frame for rotatively supporting said rollers, of a transverse-track secured relative to said frame, a napping cylinder having a width less than the width of said felt conveyer, means for supporting said napping cylinder from said track to locate the ends of the bristles of said napping cylinder within the woven structure of said felt conveyer, means for moving said napping cylinder from operative position relative to said felt conveyer to non-open ative position and for restoring said nap ping cylinder to operative position, gearing means for moving said napping cylinder along said track 'transversely o'f said felt conveyer upon'the longitudinal movement of \said felt conveyer and the engagement of the bristles of said napping cylinder with said felt conveyer, and means for reversing the movement of said napping cylinder relative to said track upon said napping cylinder attaining engagement with the lateral edge portions of said felt conveyer.

12. The combination with a paper making and extending transversely of the direction of travel of said felt conveyer for supporting and guiding said napping cylinder in its travel transversely of the direction of travel of said felt conveyer, means for moving said napping cylinder, means-forthrow- .ing said napping cylinder from operative position relative to said felt conveyer to nonoperative position and for restoring said.

napping cylinder to operative position, and

adjustable means for regulating the extent of penetration of the bristles of said nap ping cylinder into the woven fabric of said felt conveyer.

In testimony whereof "I have signed this specification this 8th day of August, 1925.

MORTIMER F. FLYNN; 

